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The founder of the hospice movement, Dame Cicely Sanders, once said, “You matter because you are you, and you matter to the end of your life. We will do all we can to help you, not only to die peacefully but to live until you die.”
We all want to live well. We all want to extract every ounce of joy, struggle, hope, sadness, excitement, and mundanity from being alive. But, for people at the end of life, time can be swallowed up by myriad arrangements, tests, pain, discomfort, uncertainty, and fear—robbing people of precious days and energy that could be spent with loved ones.
In other words, living.
Hospice helps to create space for people to live well right to the end of life. We do this by providing exceptional and compassionate care that includes pain management, comfortable surroundings, nutritious food, and the freedom for loved ones to come and go 24/7 to be with their person right to the end.
But don’t just take our word for it.
If you stop by the hospice on a Sunday afternoon, you might be welcomed at the reception desk by Colin Pratt, one of our amazing volunteers. Colin’s wife, Wendy, passed away at the hospice in 2017. Just about ever since, Colin has volunteered in different roles at the hospice. “The hospice team welcomed us like family; in turn, they became part of ours,” Colin says as he shares a photo of Wendy. “So, when the time came for Wendy to move into hospice care,” Colin says, “Foothills Country Hospice was number one on our list. “We were so pleased to get a bed here. This was the place Wendy deserved after all she’d been through,” he adds.
With the support of hospice staff, the Pratts enjoyed precious family time together, including a Hawaiian-themed party, pizza nights, and a champagne toast on Wendy’s 60th birthday. “Coming to hospice meant that we could be a family, not merely caregivers,” Colin says. “It’s very tiring and draining as a caregiver. But when we came to the hospice, we were able to find some rest and be a family during Wendy’s last days.”
Thank you for your continued support as we ensure exceptional end-of-life care for families like the Pratts.
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